Mossberg
A mossberg is like an iceberg, but made of moss, dirt, and stone, that given enough time gathering gasses through photosyhtesis, will gain the power to float. A mossberg begins its life as a massive moss colony on the ground. It spends most of its time photosynthesizing and gathering hydrogen. Once the mossberg has attained enough gas, it lifts off into the air, where it enters the seeding phase, releasing spores into the air. A typical mossberg spans about 3 feet across and can lift a cat. The Altanis mossberg was in fact multiple mossberg colonies in close proximity, thus creating a 5.7 square mile moss platform lifting the city in to the sky. Lifespan It’s an unceremonious and inaccurate art to tell just how long a mossberg will stay airborne. Observers and lovers of this strange natural phenomenon often say that the lifespan of a mossberg could be based on size, abundance of gasses that can be converted into hydrogen, and most importantly climate of the surrounding area. Like other plants, it needs a wet, rainy, warm place to grow strong. Like common moss, it doesn’t need a lot of light to grow, instead preferring the sides of large trees or boulders as possible launch points. Since a mossberg plant pumps itself full of hydrogen to keep afloat, it is to be assumed that dry, arid areas basically spell certain death. Mossberg explosions can be quite catastrophic, often starting wildfires or simply dropping down on human settlements to lay fiery waste. A mossberg's flying when mapped generally retains a strange tessellating pattern. It will attempt to fly around and around in a large circle, usually about six to ten miles in diameter, only covering about a mile a day. The area and speed that a mossberg covers however will change based on numerous different variables, and mossbergs will occasionally be seen hundreds of miles from their spawning points. Since a mossberg has no sentient qualities, this pattern seems to be somehow ingrained in their evolutionary processes. Biproducts & Cultivation Since their discovery on the face of Skaldjr, people have been trying to harness mossbergs for all manner of things. Beyond simply sucking the hydrogen out of them, the years have seen people experimenting with some truly questionable uses for this odd plant. Loadstone It was believed for a period of time that the source of a mossbergs ability to float came from a mineral in the stone underneath the moss. Kingdoms who were being assaulted by Altanis on a monthly basis often ordered their alchemists to find a way to catch the bergs and augment the stone they found there into flying machines. This certainly never worked, but the stone became quite valuable in trade for about a century, and was labeled loadstone. Some of this stone is still being harvested and circulated on the open market, despite its mundanity. Spores On some parts of Skaldjr, mossberg spores or “seeds” are considered by the wealthy to be a delicacy. It has been claimed that consuming raw, unprepared mossberg seeds “clears the bowels, and adds an entire year to your lifespan” though these things are unproven, and most likely wrong. The medical community on Skaldjr has also been experimenting with spores and the plant itself, but has found no practical use for harvesting it. Mossberg Farms The more recent advent of mossberg farms are perhaps one of the most peculiar markets on the planet. The artificial raising of the plant to create different sized mossbergs, for use as floating communities and private flying islands is becoming an extremely lucrative business practice.